Aetherlred Last Short Cross Penny

[Nick1697 13]

What does everyone think about this Aethelred penny.  It sort of looks too perfect for a coin of its age. Is it real or is it a modern fake?

[TomGoodheart 434]

More Clive's or Rob's area Nick, but there's nothing about it that shrieks 'fake' to me ...   looks nice.

[Matteo95 121]

weight is ok ?  It's the first things that you have to see ..

[Nick1697 13]

Thank you both.

The weight is 1.69g.

[TomGoodheart 434]

The next questions might be where it was bought.  If from a dealer that usually gives some reassurance. 

And provenance too.  Though I didn't find this particular coin during a short web search..

[Nick1697 13]

It was purchased from Hiddenhistory on ebay. They are a large volume seller of ancient and medieval coins and objects with very good feedback.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Saxon-King-Aethelred-II-Small-Cross-Type-Penny-Moneyer-Godman-London-Mint/152137437398?_trksid=p2046732.c100040.m2060&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140107095009%26meid%3D0879535666894688a3db34dbb53ad0b2%26pid%3D100040%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D152137437398.

I thought I would just check that everything is ok with the coin. Simply because it was in such great condition and looks great in hand. As I said almost too good. I just wanted peace of mind before it is catalogue and 'filed' away with the rest of the collection.

You wouldn't have found the coin through an image search, because I have cropped the images.

[HistoricCoinage 160]

Looks fine to me! Interesting pellet in the moneyer's name, though.

Not often you see these so centrally struck, here's another one where the pictures could be fooling.

[Peter 615]

Two cracking coins Gents,pity the monyers lost their way for a few centuries.

[Nick1697 13]

Thank you very much for confirming its authenticity. I feel a lot better about this coin now!

[Cliff 46]

  On 7/11/2016 at 4:58 AM, Nick1697 said:

What does everyone think about this Aethelred penny.  It sort of looks too perfect for a coin of its age. Is it real or is it a modern fake?

Rotographic's "England's Striking History" explains that many Aethelred II coins were used as Danegelt payments "which explains why so many English coins of his reign are found today in hoards located by Scandinavian metal detectorists".  I've seen some good examples (different Moneyers) of these coins and suggest their apparent almost "uncirculated" condition may be the result of them having been hoarded almost straight from off the Viking long- ship?